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2 vShxfets-Sheet; 1.

(NQ Model.)

n. P. BIER an H. E. ROLPH.

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ATTORNEYS SNOW EXCAVATOR.

N. PETERS, Phaw-uuwgnpner. washingwn. n. C,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. P. BIER-& H. E. ROLPH.

. SNOW BXCAVATOR.

No. 286,895. A Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

WITNESSES Ylhvrrnn Sterns Farnnrr DANTHUS `l?. BER AND 'HENRY E. ROLFH, OF MARSHALL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO HENRY M. BUROIARD, OF SAME PLACE.

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SPECFCATEGN forming part of Lettere Patent No. 286,895, dated October 1G, 1883.

Application filed June 11, 1883. (No model.) 4."

To all whom t may concern:

Be itknown that we, DANTIIUS P. BIER and HENRY E. RoLrn, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Marshall, in the county of Lyon and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Lnprovements in Excavating- Machines 5 and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

Figure l' of the drawings is a side View. Fig. 2 is a top view. Fig. 8 is a rear view, and Fig. 4. is a cross-sectional view.

rEhe object of this invention is to provide a machine for cleaningsnowfromrailway-tracks which will scatter the snow laterally from the track in a pulverized oriine and loose condition; and the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices,as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, the letters F F designate the horizontal bars of the frame, and GG the uprights. The frame is designed to be supported upon suitable wheels, to ein.- ble it to be moved readily along the track.

A designates a large metallic drum flanged at each side, and having between the flanges the transverse cutters or Scrapers a a, of curved shape, arranged somewhat like the buckets of a water-wheel.` The wheel or drum is also provided with circumferential intermediate flanges, c, subdividing the pockets d. Around the outside frame-work ofthe wheel is arranged a shell or easing, b, preferably of boiler-iron. The buckets or pockets d d of the wheel form receptacles for the snow taken up by the cutters. The drum A is supported by the arms B B,which extend from the main frame. At the ends of the drum-shaft are the sprocketwheels C and C, driven from the sprocketwheels O and G' by chains. On the shaft of the sprocket-wheels C and C is secured a central sprocket-wheel, O,whi ch is driven by a chain from the sprocket-wheel D at the rear end of the machine. The wheel D and its shaft and the pulley D' thereon are driven `by an engine on a platform-ear in rear of the machine.

E represents a shield or apron at the front end of the machine, between the frame and the drum A. Starting from a point near the track, this apron extends upward around the rear of the drum to the point or nose of the deiiector It, and then is bent back at a sharp angle. It is designed to act as a guard to keep the snow from getting into the machine. The deiiector R is of angular form, having two lateral wings,

It It', which extend rearwardly and outwardly,

and are curved in concave form from above and below on their outer sides. It is a 1r. nged in elevated position back of the upper portion of the drum, and is designed to scatter the snow laterally as it is thrown against the deecting sides thereof by the action of the drum. The deilector is supported on the longitudinal C- shaped rails h h, which are secured to the upper portions of the sides of the frame. The deflector is provided with friction-wheels s s', whereof the wheels .s s run on the top of the traek-rails h 7L, andthe wheels s s run under the flanges thereof. rlhe sides l? of the car. are hinged at their upper edges, as at p 1;,to open outward at the bottom. The car is provided with a falling bottom consisting of two portions, L L, hinged centrally to a support, as at m m, so that the bottom sections open by falling downward and inward at their outer portions. rEhe center standards, O O', to which the bottom sections are hinged, are made centrally open, to provide for the passage of the long central operating-chain. The outer edges of the` bottom sections, L L, are provided with catch-lugs or upwardly-turned ears a, which are designed to engage the lower edges ofthe hinged sides l?, and serve to hold them securely in positionwhen the bottom sections are raised in horizontal position. lllhe bottom sections are held in horizontal position by means of crank-shafts Q Q and longitudinal rods N N, connected to a chain or chains and` mechanism attached tothe operative parts of the engine. rlhese devices are controlled by means of a lever. Vhen the tension on the crankshafts is' relieved, these supports fall into horizontal position, and the bottom sections are allowed to drop at each side, releasing the hinged sides P, so that they can swing outward, if necessary.

Alever, Z, pivoted to the frame at f, is used to hold the deleetor R securely to the track. The lever is held in its position by meansof a ratchet and spring-catch.

At the end of the car is arranged a pair of up right posts, U, which support at their upper ends a pulley, W, over which runs a chain, Z, which is attached to the end of thetrack aty. This rear end portion of the track is hinged to the main track h at t, and is designed to be turned downward when the defiector is moved to the rear thereon, so that said dcflector will be out of the way.

V indicates a small steel spring rail-clearer, which is secured to the lower portion of the frame ofthe machine on each side, just over the railway-rails.

The working of the machine is as follows: In order to clear the track of any ordinary drift, the machine is pushed into the bank or drift, the drum A being revolved in the direction indicated by the arrows atahigh rate of speed. As the drinn revolves,it cuts out the snow and throws it over backward against the deiiector R with great force. The masses of snow are divided by the front angle of the defiector, and the sides of the latter cause it to be scattered to a considerable distance on each side of the track. .Vhen, however, the banks of snow at the sides ofthe track are so high that the snow cannot be thrown over them, then the deiiector is moved to the rear of the car on the hinged portions y ofthe track-rails, by which it is supported. The de'flector is then turned down by lowering the end portion, y, of the track. The bottom sections of the car are then raised in horizontal position7 engaging the sides Pthereof, and thereby a receptacle or box is formed,

into which the snow is thrown by the drum A. Vhen the box is full, the machine is moved back to a place where there are no banks on either side of the track. Then the bottom sections of the boX are allowed to fall, and the snow is discharged on either side of the track. The bottom of the car is then raised again, and the machine is pushed back into the bank for a fresh load.

This machine is designedto operate with facility in loose, dry, wet, or packed snow, its action being to break up and pulverize the snow, and by the means hereinbefore described either to throw it to a distance from the track on either side or to remove it to the rear.

Having described this invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a snow-clearing machine, the combination,with the rotating cutting-out drum A, in front, of the raised adjustable deileetor in rear of the upper portion thereof, and supported on rails, of the ear or receptacle having the centrally -hinged bottom sections, and the swinging sides, substantially as specified.

2. In a snow-clearing machine, an elevated adjustable deiiector having roller-bearings engaginga C-shaped track having a hinged end portion in rear, and devices for lowering said end portion when the deilector is adj usted thereon, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DANTIIUS l?. BIER. HENRY E. ROLPH. XVitnesses:

Louis Liinsoiv, H. B. XVATERMAN. 

